Nijboer, Donald/Hector, Gareth (Illustr.)/Laurier, Jim (Illustr.) Luftwaffe Bombers vs British AA Defences: Britain 1940-41

When the Battle of Britain began in July 1940, the Luftwaffe deployed more than 1,200 medium bombers, 300 Ju 87 "Stukas" and 760 Bf 109 and Bf 110 fighters. The British anti-aircraft command deployed 359 4.5-inch guns, 666 3.7-inch guns and 226 3-inch guns as well as 3,538 light and medium anti-aircraft guns to combat the Luftwaffe's low-flying aircraft, but was under-armed and overstretched and struggled to provide enough weapons for each key location. Nevertheless, by the end of the Battle of Britain on 31 October 1940, the anti-aircraft gunners had shot down around 300 German aircraft, increasing this number to 578 by the end of the Blitzkrieg on 11 May 1941 and resulting in an estimated 48 per cent of Luftwaffe bombers turning back due to heavy anti-aircraft fire. In this study, World War II aviation expert Donald Nijboer examines the capabilities of both sides and explores how the British Air Defence Command not only shot down so many enemy aircraft, but also forced them to fly higher, breaking up their formations and thus reducing their accuracy. Tactical diagrams, maps, archive photographs and newly commissioned artwork provide additional insight and detail, helping to bring the fierce battle for the skies over southern England to life.